The beatings will continue for Billy Napier and Florida until morale improves
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier exits the bus during Gator Walk for the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4730,h_2660,x_0,y_537/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2F213%2F01j6wd4strmt9307k6xe.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier exits the bus during Gator Walk for the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
Up until about 3:35 on Saturday, everything felt bright and sunny in Gainesville. After all, hope springs eternal, and one could convince themselves that 2024 was going to be the year Florida Football put it all together.
By 4:35, that hope was fading, and by 5:35, it was obvious Saturday wasn't going to be a sunny day.
As they say, when it rains, it pours, and nothing has gone right for Billy Napier in the aftermath of losing to Miami 41-17.
Florida Football: All The Small Things
In his post-game press conference, Napier attempted to open a water bottle while answering a question. He gave it a couple of twists but couldn't get the bottle open. Eventually, he gave up and put the bottle back on the table.
The clip went viral and was replayed on ESPN at halftime last night during the FSU vs Boston College game. Even USF coach Alex Golesh took a dig at Napier during this press conference on Tuesday.
Alex Golesh's opening statement today: "I forcefully opened the water bottle. No memes." #USF
— Joey Knight (@TBTimes_Bulls) September 3, 2024
Then, as we all know, Napier made a quip at his press conference on Monday about fans in Central Florida living in basements. UCF has already pounced on that quote and is selling t-shirts to raise money for their NIL collective.
NEW: UCF's Collective is selling 'Rural Central Florida' t-shirts trolling Billy Napier's postgame comments💀
— On3 (@On3sports) September 3, 2024
The Knights play at The Swamp on October 5th👀https://t.co/0HNDLND2ys pic.twitter.com/CKlKwQsZfn
Add on top of that countless former Gator players coming out and saying they were disappointed in the effort level from Florida on Saturday, combined with rumors starting to bubble that include DJ Lagway to Texas A&M and whether or not money from last year's black jerseys made it to its intended destination, the news cycle from Gainesville has become a runaway train that Napier and Scott Stircklin have no way of stopping.
The timeline here, based on what I’ve been told:
— Brandon Olsen (@WNS_Brandon) September 3, 2024
Billy Napier started the black uniform/auction/donate program before the UAA gave approval
Uniforms get auctioned
Napier intended for the money to go to The Fisher House, UAA never made that promise and so the UAA did not donate… https://t.co/hiLKXYETnz
If Florida was winning under Napier, all of these would be moments we shrug off and laugh.
But Florida isn't winning, so instead of laughing with Napier, everyone is laughing at Napier.
We really are living in a timeline where the beatings will continue until morale improves.
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